In Sickness and In Health
by Silly-Robot
Summary: When taking care of a sick Benson, Skips and Benson learn a few things about caring for each other no matter what.  Little bit of angst, little bit of fluff, and a lot of romance. Summary does suck


I am truly sorry that it's been so long. Truly, truly, truly sorry. It's just…it's been a hard school year so far, and I haven't had much time to myself with orchestra rehearsals and biology club. And I will admit that my inspiration has been a little dried-out lately. But in honor of the new season of Regular Show, here is a little something for you, another Skips/Benson story.

**It was…difficult to write, I guess, and yes, they are extremely OOC in this one, because I definitely know that this isn't my best work. I can do much better. But hopefully you can enjoy it anyways. And if you're wondering about the title, I suppose it refers to how people, when married, promise to stay with each other, even through times of sickness.**

**Warning: Slash, OOCness, the usual warnings**

**Disclaimer: Is there any Skips/Benson in the show yet? Then I don't own it.**

"C'mon, Benson. You gotta get something in your stomach."

"No, thanks. It's not like it will stay down, anyways." came a hoarse and slightly cranky voice from underneath the covers. Skips sighed, rubbing his head. He sat down, looking around the garage. Outside, the first snow of the year fell gently onto the ground. The lump in the blankets shifted slightly, moving away from Skips's body. The yeti looked at the tray of food he had brought down from the house. A still-hot bowl of soup, a chunk of bread, and a cup of tea. Skips looked sternly at the lump in his bed.

"Benson, the doctor said you need to ear." Skips said in a flat voice, suddenly irritated with Benson, "Don't you want to get better?" Benson's head appeared from under the covers, glowering at Skips. He had been extremely cranky all day, and had tended to snap at Skips every time they spoke or Skips tried to help him. The gumball machine struggled to sit up, batting Skips's hand away. His narrowed eyes met Skips's.

"I'm fine, Skips. It's just a cold or something." he snapped, glaring for another minute before his limbs shook and he collapsed back onto the bed. Skips stood, grabbing a bucket and placing it under Benson's chin just before the gumball machine vomited. Skips gently wiped his mouth off and gave him a glass of water, earning a soft look from Benson. He took the bucket into the bathroom and washed it out, returning to Benson as quickly as he could. The gumball machine's eyelids were drooping shut, but he managed a small smile at Skips just before slipping off into fevered dreams. Skips put a large hand on Benson's forehead, frowning slightly. Too hot. He shook his head, placing his hand on Benson's cheek gently for a moment before leaving to the house.

Skips picked at his spaghetti quietly, listening to Pops ramble on about a puppy he had seen dressed up in a winter coat. The naïve old man would only pause to ask a question or laugh loudly. Mordecai and Rigby had already left, acting almost embarrassed about Pops's behavior, while MuscleMan sat right by Skips, cracking one of his infamous "my mom" jokes every few minutes, High-Five Ghost smiling and high-fiving MuscleMan after each joke. The yeti glanced out the window in the direction of the garage. He wondered if Benson had woken up, or was still sleeping.

"What about you, Skips?" Pops asked, voice breaking into the yeti's thoughts. Skips looked at Pops to see a large smile on the lollipop man's face. Skips shook his head.

"I'm sorry, what did you say, Pops?" he asked, mind still focused on Benson. Pops just smiled at Skips.

"I asked whether or not you will join us for a moving picture night!" Pops laughed in sheer delight. It took Skips just a moment to realize that he meant a movie night. The yeti shook his head after a moment.

"Nah, not tonight, Pops." he said, "Sorry." Pops nodded, smile a little smaller.

"Quite alright." Pops said, his next question catching Skips off-guard, "Is Benson feeling better?" Skips jerked slightly, looking at Pops. His guard was immediately up.

"Huh?" he asked, a little too quickly. MuscleMan and High-Five Ghost, as if sensing the sudden tension in the room, quickly left. Skips looked at Pops. He had always wondered if Pops really knew what was going on between him and Benson, or if the naïve man just assumed they were close friends. Skips swallowed, and Pops nodded.

"Yes, yes, Benson." he said with something Skips couldn't name in his voice, "Will he be back soon?" Skips glanced out the window, dark eyes seeing something no one else could.

"Yeah." he said finally, "He'll be back in a few days." Pops nodded, taking a box out from underneath the table. It was crudely wrapped in shiny blue and purple paper, a large white bow on top. He handed it to Skips, along with an envelope.

"Please give this to Benson, with my best wishes." Pops said. Skips nodded, the paper rustling as he took it from Pops.

"Sure thing, Pops." he said, standing. The yeti dumped his uneaten spaghetti into the trash, then skipped outside.

Outside the house, the moon had risen in the sky, full tonight. A thin layer of snow covered the ground, clinging to the tree's bare branches. Frozen blades of grass crunched under Skips's bare feet, one of the few noises in the still air. A breeze made the tree branches rustle together, the occasional thump of snow as it fell from the branches. Skips reached the garage, and opened the door. The yeti switched on a small lamp, casting a soft golden glow over the room. He set the present and envelope on a stool, then turned to his bed.

"Hey, you." Benson whispered with a sleepy smile. Skips breathed a sigh of relief. At least Benson was in a better mood. The yeti bent down and placed his hand on Benson's forehead. The yeti's dark eyes showed his worry as he looked down at Benson.

"You're still too warm. You haven't really broken through the fever yet." Skips said, starting to take his hand off Benson's head. With surprising speed and strength, one of Benson's hands snaked out from under the blankets to grab Skips's wrist. Skips gently took Benson's hand off his wrist and squeezed it. He looked at the tray of food. The tea was still there, but a little soup had been eaten, as well as part of the bread. Skips gave Benson a smile.

"I told you it would stay in your stomach." he said, placing his free hand on Benson's cheek. The gumball machine rolled his eyes, tightening his grip on Skips's hand, eyelids drooping shut.

"Whatever." he murmured, smiling slightly. Skips listened in concern as Benson coughed harshly. The yeti stood up straight, letting go of Benson's hand, then skipping over to grab the present and envelope. He brought them over, setting them on the bed next to the gumball machine. Benson cracked open one eye to see what had been placed next to him. He opened both eyes to look questionably up at Skips. The yeti shrugged.

"It's from Pops." was all he said. Benson nodded, struggling to sit up. He didn't refuse Skips's help this time, coughs erupting from him as soon as he sat upright.

"I'm fine." he rasped as Skips looked at him, worry evident in his normally stoic face. Benson picked up the present, examining the terrible wrapping job. He snorted softly, smiling. Skips opened the envelope and examined the card inside. It was colorful, with an obviously hand-drawn picture of Benson with a heart by it. Skips handed it silently to Benson, who shifted to lean against Skips. He opened the card, reading it to himself. Skips glanced down at him as Benson laughed softly.

"He gave me one hundred dollars." Benson said with a small grin, holding up a lollipop. Skips looked closely at it. Butterscotch ripple. He chuckled, placing it on the tray, next to the cup of tea. Benson's fingers picked at the wrapping paper weakly, too tired to even open it. Skips gently took it from him and set it on the floor.

"It can wait." he said quietly, putting a hand on Benson's shoulder. The gumball machine nodded as Skips gently pushed him down, covering him with the blankets again. Benson struggled, suddenly loathing Skips's touch as the fever began to ravage his body again.

"Stop…Skips, stop." he hissed, curling up under the covers, "It's too hot…leave it…" His voice trailed off as he continued to writhe under the blankets. Skips looked at him in alarm. His fingers barely brushed against Benson's head, and Skips looked at him with concern.

"You're burning up, Benson. I'm going to go get some medicine, okay?" he whispered gently, "I'll be back soon." He bent down and placed a gentle kiss on Benson's cheek. Benson moaned and pulled away, eyes squeezed shut. Skips hurried outside, skipping over to the house. He immediately went into the bathroom, opening the cupboard where they stored the medicines. The yeti groaned as he looked through them, realizing that there was nothing there that could really help. He finally took a few bottles of pills, then headed down the stairs. On the way out, Skips ran into Pops, who was admiring a picture of himself playing in the park.

"Hello, Skips!" Pops said, waving excitedly. Skips went over to look at the picture for a moment.

"Hey, Pops." he said, not wanting to get stuck in a long conversation, "I really can't talk now. Benson's pretty sick." Pops nodded in understanding. Silence.

"Did he like his present?" Pops suddenly asked, just as Skips was about to leave. He winced, remembering how they had just set aside the present.

"He hasn't opened it yet." Skips explained, "I'm sure he will as soon as he's feeling better." Pops nodded again.

"I do hope he enjoys it and gets some use out of it." Pops said with a smile, "I picked it out especially for him." Skips nodded.

"I'm sure he'll like it. See ya, Pops." he said, skipping out. The door to the house swung shut behind him as the yeti made his way down the steps. The snow had stopped falling, and stars twinkled in the dark night sky. Skips silently named the constellations in his head as he approached the garage. The Big Dipper, Scorpio, Sagittarius. The yeti stopped for a moment, looking straight up at the Milky Way, and the northern star. Without realizing it, Skips whispered a quick prayer up to the sky, hoping someone would hear it.

"Please leave him here. I still need him." Skips pleaded quietly. A breeze ruffled his white fur, trees rustling as branches brushed against one another. Skips closed his dark eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. He pushed open the door to the garage. Benson was still curled up in bed, eyes shut, but he wasn't asleep. Skips knew that the gumball machine was still awake, due to the fact that he jerked and rolled over about every two minutes, trying to get comfortable. Skips placed a cool hand on Benson's cheek, feeling him relax slightly. Benson's eyes flew open, trying to focus on Skips.

"Skips?" he croaked, voice weak. He sounded so broken. Skips suddenly wondered why the sickness was affecting the gumball machine so much, taking such a toll on him. He shook his head, taking out a handful of pills, sorting through them carefully. Benson groaned, pulling away from Skips's hand and curling into an even tighter ball. Skips finally picked out two of the pills, setting them on the tray. He glanced outside. Wisps of clouds were drifting across the sky, threatening to cover the stars. Skips took out a bottle of water, pouring the lukewarm water into a cup. He sighed, looking at Benson.

"Benson…"

"No." Benson said firmly, glaring at Skips. Skips chuckled, picking up the pills and placing them in Benson's hand.

"You're so stubborn." he said gently, smiling. Benson smiled back, fingers tightening around the pills. Skips handed him the plastic cup. Benson quickly popped the pills in his mouth and took a swig of water. He made a face at Skips, swallowing. Skips rubbed his back lightly, still smiling.

"Wasn't so hard, was it?" he asked, almost teasing. Benson smacked his arm lightly, grinning.

"Shut up." he said, a soft smile crossing his face. Skips stood, looking outside once again. He turned around to face Benson. The gumball machine looked even more tired under the golden glow of the lamp. Pops's present still sat on the floor, unopened. Skips chuckled under his breath suddenly, a thought crossing his mind. Benson heard anyways. He cast a half-amused, half-annoyed glance at the yeti.

"What?" he asked as Skips rejoined him, fingers weakly grasping Skips's. Skips shook his head, casting a fond look at Benson.

"Oh, nothing." the yeti replied with a slight smile. Benson scowled.

"Tell me." he demanded, "Or you're fired." The two suddenly shared a grin, bursting into laughter for a moment. Skips looked down at Benson, their fingers twining together, dark eyes warm with affection.

"I was just thinking about you." Skips said, "Just thinking about when I first met you." Benson looked up at Skips, tired eyes widening slightly.

"Really? What did you think about me when we first met?" the gumball machine asked curiously. Skips shrugged, eyes glancing around the room.

"I don't know, I guess I knew there was something about you, but wasn't really sure what it was." Skips said, squeezing Benson's hand gently, "And I decided working at the park might not be such a bad thing." Benson chuckled, closing his eyes.

"First appearances _do_ decide everything, huh?" he replied, opening his eyes to look up at the yeti. Skips shrugged one shoulder.

"Nah. If first appearances really were everything, I don't think either of us would be in this position." Skips pointed out. Silence stretched between the two, and Skips glanced at the clock. It was nearly ten. The minutes had passed by so quickly. Benson gave a defeated kind of sigh, muscles relaxing. Skips looked at him and shook his head.

"I don't understand this sickness." the yeti admitted, "You feel terrible, then you seem better. Then you look like you're going to die, and then you just need a bit of rest and you're fine." Benson looked up at Skips with a warm expression.

"Maybe I got sick on purpose. Making you spend more time with me" Benson said in a sing-song voice. Skips tried to smile, but it came out more like a grimace.

"I'm sorry, Benson, I've been busy, and-" The yeti was cut off by a sharp snort from Benson. He grinned at Skips.

"I was kidding, Skips. I know we've both been busy lately." he replied quietly, grin sliding off his face, "And, well, it's not like our relationship can be out in the open." Skips nodded in silent agreement. Benson closed his eyes again, hand relaxing in Skips's grip. Skips chuckled.

"You're definitely not acting like yourself. You're being much too open, too casual, too lenient." he said, shifting his body slightly. Benson smiled, not even opening his eyes.

"Same to you." was his reply. Skips stiffened slightly, then relaxed, tightening his fingers, squeezing Benson's fingers. Benson sighed, body moving into a more comfortable position. Skips yawned, covering his mouth quickly. One weary eye cracked open.

"Go to sleep, Skips. Or I'll be taking of you when you're sick and exhausted." Benson murmured, tugging the yeti's hand gently. Skips nodded after a moment, climbing into bed beside Benson.

"I'm not gonna get sick, Benson. Quiet down and go to sleep." Skips said firmly in response to the gumball machine's protests. Benson let out a huff, rolling over into Skips's chest. Skips smiled, placing gentle kisses on Benson's forehead, trying to soothe his tired lover. Benson's hands were balled up into fists, resting lightly against Skips's muscular chest. Skips lay awake for quite some time, simply holding Benson to him, glad that the fever was passing. After about two hours, Benson woke, Skips still awake.

"Go to sleep, Skips." Benson murmured softly, kissing the yeti, "You can't oversleep and be late to work." There was a faint trace of amusement in his still-hoarse voice. Skips sighed, smiling at Benson.

"All right, all right. I'll go to sleep." Skips chuckled, allowing Benson to snuggle closer, "But you need to as well." Benson nodded, giving him a sleepy smile before closing his eyes. Skips shifted a little, finally settling into a comfortable position. Benson moved slightly.

"Sorry I was such a bother." he whispered, "Still love me?" Skips chuckled again, a smile coming over his face as he looked at the gumball machine sleeping on the pillow Pops had given him. He stroked Benson's cheek gently.

"Of course."

Benson's words had been prophetic.

"Benson, please, I'm fine-"

"No, you're not! Look at you! You can barely even sit up without any help!"

"…I can't believe this."

Benson shot a glare at Skips as he poured medicine into a small cup. Skips lay in bed, the yeti's eyes sunken, dark circles under them. It had been only a week and half since Benson himself had recovered. And now…

"Take it."

"No, thanks."

"I insist." Benson said irritably, forcing the cup into Skips's hand. Skips grimaced and quickly took in the medicine. He glared at the gumball machine, coughing.

"Happy, now?" he growled. Benson smirked.

"Yes." he said smugly. Skips just shook his head in exasperation as Benson sat down on the edge of the bed, placing a small, cool hand on Skips's forehead. Outside, it was a clear, crisp day, sunlight reflecting off the white snow. Benson glanced out the window to make sure that Mordecai and Rigby were still working. They were nowhere in sight, the usual. Benson rolled his eyes, turning back to the sick yeti. He chuckled, moving his hand from Skips's forehead to his cheek. Skips scowled slightly.

"I can't believe I'm sick." he groaned, squeezing his dark eyes shut for a moment. Benson kissed his cheek, grinning.

"I told you so."

**Holy crap…oh dear God…this was long. I also realized that I really must like writing stories set in winter. Oh my…if you actually stuck through all that and made it to this message, congrats. And since you're down here anyways, there's that review button. You know what to do.**

**BTW, expect still a little bit more Skips/Benson. I haven't completely used up my muse for them yet. So see ya soon, dear readers!**


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